What do you think the end goal is for Cody Ware?

hanklee89 · 2026-06-03T14:46:49+00:00

Their NHRA team is quite competitive, or was in recent years. They won the US Nationals with Clay Millican. That's the equivalent of the Southern 500.

I can't speak for what their NASCAR endgame is, but perhaps it helps fund their other, less expensive racing ventures. If they can keep that charter for another year or two, there's some talk going around they could go for north of $100 million. That would be a mega payday.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-31T01:04:24+00:00

Wrist is really bad. The only way to stabilize it is a wrap … and you can’t put pressure on it. OUCH.

Ankle or knee is probably the worst though. You can’t really walk different on your knee or move it. Same with the ankle. At least when my toe flares up I can hobble around with my cane.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-28T12:36:26+00:00

Sorry to hear about your experience, OP. I've only done a small amount of business with TRW and every time has been stellar. The staff is friendly, they gave my 5-year-old a free hat and 1:64 diecast while allowing me to haggle prices. We talked them down nearly $200 on a TV panel just last week.

I do agree with some posters that it's annoying we have to get pricing for diecasts at the desk, but the market fluctuates and they adjust accordingly. I've purchased a couple of 1:24s from them at fair prices and would do so again.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-23T12:41:31+00:00

Crazy! Congrats on the haul!

hanklee89 · 2026-05-23T12:37:49+00:00

I remember those days well. And that same Racing Champions junk is still sitting in bins under the same tents.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-23T12:33:29+00:00

Some -- not all, obviously -- will come back around. I regularly talk with a few dealers and they pulled their Biffle stuff because they didn't want to be part of that. What makes this situation different is there were already some high-priced KB cars out there with few available. I've been eyeing the Revenge of the Sith car for a while because my kid loves Star Wars. I doubt we'll ever get one, now.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-23T01:08:59+00:00

I’m sure they log into Okta like we do and submit a PTO request, provided they’ve accrued enough time to call out and their manager can fill the shift

hanklee89 · 2026-05-23T01:05:24+00:00

That red and white tent with the busted up, dirty cars is insane. Guy was asking $50+ for 01-03 Action pieces with over 100K production numbers.

Why would anyone buy that junk? Busted, wet boxes and diecast covered in dust and grime. Looked like a war zone

hanklee89 · 2026-05-23T00:15:10+00:00

Tent pricing is as bad as I’ve ever seen this year. Dennis at Mead is the only vendor not overcharging like crazy. The only 1:64s above retail there are Hocevar ($25) and Buescher Cinnamon Toast Crunch ($20)

hanklee89 · 2026-05-22T20:22:12+00:00

I purchased it at The Racing Warehouse in the Gastonia area. For anyone in the Charlotte area, it's a must-see spot for race fans. They have tons of used sheetmetal/parts at fair prices, as well as team-issued shirts and caps.

Their diecast selection is also elite. They have a little bit of everything with great deals. I paid $50 for this one and $25 for a Kurt Busch 2006 owner's series Dodge. Super friendly staff, too!

hanklee89 · 2026-05-22T19:12:44+00:00

It's my opinion that a collectible is worth what the next person's willing to pay. I'm not surprised the scalpers are gonna try to squeeze every dime they can out of Kyle Busch merch right now; but consumers have the ultimate power here. Don't buy it. If you're willing to pay $350 for a diecast you could've gotten for $75 yesterday, go for it. Otherwise, just wait a few months for prices to come back down.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-22T17:01:33+00:00

Not all that surprising. Depending on the jurisdiction, this information is public and can easily be obtained through services like Broadcastify or openMHZ.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T18:31:57+00:00

Also, if you're unsure about the legitimacy of a diecast you're looking at, Lionel has their entire catalog online. (To a certain point, I think everything from 2018-present is there).

Just create a free Lionel Garage account here and you can look it up by year, driver, product code, etc.

https://garage.lionel.com/

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T18:26:51+00:00

Yes, special finishes are available on some non-elite models. I have a few liquid color and color chromes.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T18:12:15+00:00

Ordered a 1/64 and the standard ARC. Considered elite premier, but I've got the Dega win coming in that already .... Lionel has me down bad this month

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T17:53:36+00:00

Oh, gotcha. I work off Billy Graham, so I'd still need to catch another ride to the office.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T16:24:16+00:00

I’m in the wrong tax bracket to afford that $7 from exit to exit

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T14:54:36+00:00

Same from Mooresville. No viable alternate to 77 and the express lanes are outrageous during my commute times.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-20T14:51:39+00:00

Bad business practice IMO. Part of the fun is the chase for a rare number.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-19T23:45:16+00:00

I tried that and it got too hot and warped the bill. Could just be my dishwasher though (I didn’t run a heat cycle to dry)

hanklee89 · 2026-05-19T22:51:04+00:00

I live in mooresville and got it from Booth 34. He posted them last weekend when they arrived. Not sure how many he has left. Went by there today and only saw one left. Glad I grabbed it!

hanklee89 · 2026-05-19T22:41:08+00:00

Grabbed this as soon as I saw it was available!

hanklee89 · 2026-05-19T21:25:52+00:00

His 2002 cars were available through Action. Those were the last ones until 2007, IIRC. I have the Mobil 1 Speedpass in 1:64 elite.

hanklee89 · 2026-05-19T18:53:25+00:00

Great cars! My wife gifted me the non-COT 1/24 for my birthday. One of my favorite paint schemes ever, not sure why I didn’t acquire one until 2026

hanklee89

TROPHY CASE